Dress form with retractible shoulders



May 30, 1967 A. BALDWIN y 3,322,309

DRESS FORM WITH RETRACTIBLE SHOULDERS Filed June 14, 1965 2Sheets-Sheef. l

INVENTOR /4/1//1/ /M DW//V BYg l A TORNiEY May 30, 1967 A. BALDWIN DRESSFORM WITH RETRACTIBLE SHOULDERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 14 INVENTOR,4/1//1/ BDW//V BY A ORNEY United States Patent Oiitice arrasa@ PatentedMay S50, 1967 3,322,309 DRESS FORM WITH RETRACTIBLE SHUULDERS AnnBaldwin, 334 E. 53rd St., New York, NSY. 10022 Filed .lune 14, 1965,Ser. No. 463,7@9 2 Claims. (Cl. 22B- 68) This invention rela-tesespecially concerned forms for domestic As is well known generally `todress forms, and is with unique improvements in dress use by the homesewer.

to those versed in the art, better* quality` dress forms are relativelyexpensive and often beyond the financial reach of the average housewifeor Woman desirous and capable of making her own garments. While certaineconomical models for home use have been proposed, these suffer certaindisadvantages, for example in being fabricated of inherently stiffmaterial, such as cardboard or the like, seriously limiting theavailable contours, curves and shapes of the dress form. Anotherdrawback of prior dress forms, also inherent in the stiffness orrigidity of material employed, was the need for opening seams to removea dress from the form.

Accordingly, it is an important object of the present invention toprovide a dress-form construction which overcomes the above-mentioneddifficulties, is capable of fabrication from exible sheet material tomore accurately reproduce natural `body contours, while affording thenecessary ridigity for sustaining both itself and a garment under allconditions of use.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide adress-form construction of the type described having a unique shoulderstructure capable of inward depression When desired for removal andreplacement of a garment with respect to Ithe form, and return of thedepressed structure, when desired.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a dressform having the advantageous characteristics mentioned in the precedingparagraphs, which is extremely simple lto make, being capable ofproduction at home by the ultimate purchaser with simple instructions,which is durable and reliable throughout a long useful life, and whichcan be economically manufactured in kit form for distribution and saleat a reasonable price.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent Iuponreading the following speciiication and referring tto the accompanyingdrawings, which form a material part of this disclosure.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combinations of elements, and arrangements Iof parts, which will beexemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which thescope will be indicated by the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front perspective view showing .a dress form constructedin accordance with the teachings of the present invention, and in itsnormal condition of use.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged, partial front perspective view showingV ashoulder of the dress forni of FIGURE l, but in a compressedconditionfor removal from or .placement on the form of a garment.

FIGURE 6 is a partial sectional view taken generally along the line 3-3of FIGURE 1, and illustrating in dotand-dash outline the depressedcondition of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 41's a partial sectional elevational view taken generally alongthe line 4 4 of FIGURE l.

FIGURE 5 is a partial sectional elevational view similar yto FIGURE 4,but taken generally along the line 5 5 of FIGURE 2 and illustrating thedepressed shoulder condition.

FIGURE 6 is a bottom perspective view of the lower body region.

FIGURE 7 illustrates a plurality of yblanks adapted to be formed intothe shoulder construction of the instant invention.

FIGURE 8 is an interior elevational view of the dressform shoulderfabricated from the blanks of FIGURE 7.

FIGURE 9 is an interior elevational View similar to FIGURE 8 butillustrating adhesive tapes as reinforcing.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and specifically toFIGURE 1 thereof, a dress form is there generally designated 10, and isconstituted of a hollow body l1 of generally torso-shaped c-onguration.The hollow body 11 includes a lower region or skirt 12, an intermediateregion or Waist 13, and an upper region or bust 14. The upper region orbust 14 is shaped to deiine a pair of shoulders 15 extending la-terallyoutward away from each other and respectively lterminating at sides 16,each formed with a side opening or armhole 17.

The body 11 may be pierced or otherwise formed in any suitable manner offlexible sheet material, such as felt, advantageously impregnated withsizing. While felt has been found satisfactorily for the outer layer ofbody 11, it is appreciated that plastic, or other suitable material maylbe employed, if desired. In conjunction with a felt outer layer, it hasbeen found preferable to adhesively secure suitable stiffener means tothe interior surfaces of the felt body material where stiffening isdesired. Conforming engagement of ,the inner stiifening sheet materialmay be obtained by employing gum paper, or other adhesive-coatedflexible sheet material in pieces formed with slits and cuts forconforming engagement with the various interior contours of the fel-t.

Interiorly of each shoulder 15 is provided stitfener means Ztl of thetype described. That is, the stiffener means 2t) may be gum oradhesive-coated paper secured in facing engagement with the interiorsurface of the shoulder. Such stiffener means is shown in FIGURES 3-5,it there being illustrated that the stilfener means or iadhesivelysecured paper 2d terminates at an edge 21 adjacent to but spaced fromthe body side le having the armhole opening 17. Thus, there is aterminal portion Z2 of each shoulder 15 remaining unstifened, and,therefore, relatively iiexible as compared to the remainder of shoulder.

Each side or armhole opening 17 is closed by a generally circularclosure piece `25, say of sized felt or other suitably ilexible materialand peripherally secured to the bounding margin of the respectiveopening, as by stitching 26 (FIGS. 3 and 7).

A closure piece Z5 is shown in blank form in FIGURE 7. Also shown inblank are a pair of armhole-dening pie-ces 27 adapted to be securedtogether along their upper margins 28, there forming the extremeshoulder porwhile the vertical edge margins 3) are stitched or other--wise secured together to form body sides 16.

margins 32 whiclraie stitched or otherwise secured together, and upperinner side inargins 33 of arcuately concave contiguration for peripheralsecurement about respective `halves of the closure piece 2o". When theblanks` `illare thus secured to each other and to the closure piece 25,they combine to define a peripheral ,lipl 35' (FIG. 8) extendingcircumferentially l the vertical elongation of the blanks 3l, the lowerregion cumferential line of stitching 37, and the lower adjacent edges32 of the blanks 31 are secured together by stitching 38. The lip 35 andits depending extension or tongue 36 is thus mounted interiorly of thebody lll, being free from the body except as secured theretoperipherally about the closure piece 25 and at any one line of holes31a.

In addition, a pull tab or loop 40 may be stitched or otherwise securedto each closure piece 25, as between the peripheral margin of the latterand the adjacent edge margin of arm opening 17, see FIGURES 4 and 5.

In addition to the stiffener means 2G adhesively secured to the interiorsurfaces of shoulders l5, there is stiffener means 42 secured to theinterior surface of each closure piece 25 to stiffen the latter. Thestiffener means 42 may `also be of gummed paper, or other sheet materialsuitable for adhesive securement to the closure pieces. Further, thestiifener means 42 of each closure piece 25 may extend therebeyond forstiffening securement with the inner surface of the respectiveperipheral lip 35, as at 43, and with the inner surface of therespective depending extension or tongue 36, as at 44. Thus, eachclosure piece 25 and its associated lip 35 and tongue 36 are effectivelystiffened as a unit, while remaining free or unsecured with respect tothe body 11, except about the periphery of each closure piece. Ifdesired, the lower ends of tongues 36 may -be secured to the facingportion of side f6, without adversely affecting operation, as willappear presently.

As best seen in FIGURES 3 and 4, while the terminal portion 22 of eachshoulder 15 remains unstiffened, and, therefore, relatively flexible,the underlying peripheral lip 35 is effectively stilfened or rigidificdto support or reinforce the relatively flexible shoulder portion, andthereby permit use of the dress form in the same manner as aconventional dress form having rigid shoulder terminal shoulders.However, by reason of the relatively flexible shoulder terminal portions22, the closure pieces 25 are each depressible inward, as from thenormal position of FIGURE 4 to the inwardly depressed position of FIG-URE 5 (and the phantom position of FIGURE 3), the shoulder portion 22flexing for this purpose. In such depressed condition, as seen in FIGURE2, the overall width of dress form 10, at its shoulder region, issubstantially reduced. This permits upward removal of a garment from theform l0 without previously necessary opening of seams. Of course, merepulling of the tab 40 effects return of the depressed closure piece 25to its normal outward position, Where it remains until deliberatelydepressed again.

While felt and paper have been described hereinbefore as preferredmaterials, it is appreciated that other materials may be employed, ifdesired. Also, the internal stffening may assume other constructions,although that of multiple pieces of slit or cut gummed paper has beenfound highly advantageous for accommodating to all desired dress-formcontours.

The use of multiple pieces of gummed paper or adhesive tape is shown inFIGURE 6, the multiple pieces 18 being adhesively secured in facingengagement with a the inner surfaces of the lower body region l2 toeffectively stiffen the outer material of the body region. Also inFIGURE 9 is shown the employment of multiple pieces of gummed paper oradhesive tape interiorly of the torso and shoulderlin particular, largeradhesive pieces 19 may be secured in facing engagement with the interiorsurfaces of the upper body region, while a plurality of relatively smalladhesive pieces 2K3 may be secured in conforming facing engagement withthe interior of the bust 14. A multitude of intermediate-size adhesivepieces may be secured in facing engagement with the inner surface of thearmhole closure, as at 24, and to the blanks 31 surrounding the armholeclosure, as at 34. If desired, the relatively flexible shoulder portion22 may 'be reinforced with internal adhesively secured pieces or strips,but not sufficient in number of stiffness to adversely affect thedesired flexibility. That is, the shoulder portions 22 may bereinforced, but must remain relatively flexible, as compared to theadjacent regions. The area 22a between the line of circles 27a and theline of xs 27 b, as seen in FIG- URE 7 should be free of reinforcements.

Further, if desired, the lower or depending ends of tongues 36 may beflexibly secured to the adjacent waist portion I3 of the body lll, as byadhesive pieces or tape 39 extending across the tongues and secured tothe interior of the body.

From the foregoing, it is seen that the present invention provides adress-form construction which fully accomplishes its intended objectsand is well adapted to meet practical conditions of manufacture and use.

Although the present invention has been described in some detail by wayof illustration land example for purposes of clarity of understanding,it is understood that certain changes and modifications may be madewithin the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

ll. A dress form fabricated of flexible sheet material and comprising ahollow torso-shaped body, said body including shoulders extendingoutwardly from each other and terminating in armhole openings, a closurepiece secured across each of said openings, and stitfener means securedinteriorly of said shoulders adjacent to and spaced from said closurepieces to afford relatively greater flexibility tothe shoulder portionsadjacent to said closure pieces, said closure pieces being depressibleinward upon flexure of said adjacent shoulder portions for reducing thewidth of said body across the shoulders, an internal lip secured alongthe periphery of each closure piece closely underlying and unsecured tothe adjacent relatively llexible shoulder portion, for reinforcing saidshoulder portions without impairing flexibility thereof, said lips eachextending circumferentially about the respective closure piece, and anextension on each lip depending interiorly along the adjacent body sidefor reinforcing said body sides without impairing flexibility thereof,the bottorn end of said extension being secured to said body, theremainder of said lip being otherwise free from the adjacent body side.

2. A dress form according to claim 1, in combination with additionalstiifener means secured interiorly to each of said closure pieces, theassociated lip and lip extension for movement thereof as a unit upondepression of said closure pieces.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS JORDAN FRANKLIN, PrimaryExaminer. G. V. LARKIN, Assistant Examiner.

1. A DRESS FORM FABRICATED OF FLEXIBLE SHEET MATERIAL AND COMPRISING AHOLLOW TORSO-SHAPED BODY, SAID BODY INCLUDING SHOULDERS EXTENDINGOUTWARDLY FROM EACH OTHER AND TERMINATING IN ARMHOLE OPENINGS, A CLOSUREPIECE SECURED ACROSS EACH OF SAID OPENINGS, AND STIFFENER MEANS SECUREDINTERIORLY OF SAID SHOULDERS ADJACENT TO AND SPACED FROM SAID CLOSUREPIECES TO AFFORD RELATIVELY GREATER FLEXIBILITY TO THE SHOULDER PORTIONSADJACENT TO SAID CLOSURE PIECES, SAID CLOSURE PIECES BEING DEPRESSIBLEINWARD UPON FLEXIBLE OF SAID ADJACENT SHOULDER PORTIONS FOR REDUCING THEWIDTH OF SAID BODY ACROSS THE SHOULDERS, AN INTERNAL LIP SECURED ALONGTHE PERIPHERY OF EACH CLOSURE PIECE CLOSELY UNDERLYING AND UNSECURED TOTHE ADJACENT RELATIVELY FLEXIBLE SHOULDER PORTION, FOR REINFORCING SAIDSHOULDER PORTIONS WITHOUT IMPAIRING FLEXIBILITY THEREOF, SAID LIPS EACHEXTENDING CIRCUMFERENTIALLY ABOUT THE RESPECTIVE CLOSURE PIECE, AND ANEXTENSION ON EACH LIP DEPENDING INTERIORILY ALONG THE ADJACENT BODY SIDEFOR REINFORCING SAID BODY SIDES WITHOUT IMPAIRING FLEXIBILITY THEREOF,THE BOTTOM END OF SAID EXTENSION BEING SECURED TO SAID BODY, THEREMAINDER OF SAID LIP BEING OTHERWISE FREE FROM THE ADJACENT BODY SIDE.